I'm back again. Hopefully the length of this chapter helps makes up for slow updates. And some action finally happens along with plot. Enjoy.
"And we have a new winner!" a man with a long mustache announces, holding up his fist. Nearby watchers clap for the mayor's son, who looks sheepish at the attention he never really liked receiving. His friends cheering him on and his wife attached firmly to his arm eyeing the various prizes help him get over this. He eyes the various things he can choose himself, his gaze settling on a stuffed bird. For some reason ever since she was a little girl Anju has always been fond of Cuccos. He doesn't even have to hesitate before he picks the doll out and hands it over. Her thank you is a quick peck on the cheek before she snuggles the plushie in her right arm and remains attached to him, moving a little closer. Cremia smiles to herself and decides she should see if she can get Link to play at this booth. He and Romani are constantly in a competition to see who is the better marksman. Over the years they have taken turns holding the title, but tonight their rivalry could be funny for all plus one of them could win the plushie she thinks is cute. Even bigger of a challenge than them trying to best each other will be getting the winner to give her their prize, but she thinks she can manage it. She looks around for the pair, but they are nowhere in sight.
"Hey, have you guys seen Link and my sister?"
"No, not since we left the Milk Bar," Yttriu answers.
"Great. They snuck off without telling anyone, the complete opposite of what I asked them to do."
"Don't worry about it, Cremia," Kafei assures her. "They're big kids. I'm sure they'll be fine."
"That's not the point. We spent the last few months planning to be together tonight. You know how busy we've all been lately, and now things will be changing so who knows if we can have time like this again."
"Maybe you had one Chateau Romani too many," Yttriu suggests. She only glares at him. "Alright, was I in the original plans for tonight?" She doesn't answer. "There ya go. Now let's just enjoy ourselves without the teens around. Besides, isn't it good when things change?" She looks at their friends and then back at him.
"I suppose you're right."
"Of course I am. Now who's up for some more games? I brought plenty of rupees with me tonight."
"Why don't we let the girls choose this time?" the son of the mayor suggests.
"There are so many to choose from I don't know which one to pick. Anju can decide."
"How about that gold fish catching game? I've been wanting to keep some in the lobby at the inn for the quests."
"Then lets head on over there, shall we?" Yttriu extends his arm to the oldest ranch sister, and she accepts it willingly. They begin walking over to the next booth while their friends look at each other, finding it odd how comfortable she seems to be with him. They forget this in favor of going after the pair, content with having fun with their close friend and the one from their childhood.
This time all four take their turn with this game of chance and patience. Only one comes away the victor, though, with an impressive six little fish to go along with her Cucco plushie. Hopefully they will enjoy their new home occupying bowls in the lobby of the Stock Pot Inn. Kafei looks at the bag in semi-awe.
"After all of this time there are still some things about you I don't know." She smiles and holds the bag up to watch the little guys swim around in the small space.
"Yeah, that's impressive, Anju," Cremia agrees.
"It's really not that impressive," she tries to play down their compliments. "It just takes some patience and luck. If you've met my mother, you know I have plenty of patience, and I've been feeling lucky lately."
"By the way, why did your mom sound so angry earlier?" Cremia asks having been reminded of the woman's loud and shrill voice yelling at her daughter and son-in-law.
"She was just being a little overly concerned is all," he answers. The other two nod in understanding. "But after I assured her I could take care of my wife just fine and that some fun would do more good than anything, she let up. Of course, we had to practically storm out in the process, but it worked, didn't it?"
"And hopefully she'll be asleep when we go home. At least we can put off her yelling until the morning."
"Sometimes I think we shouldn't have moved back in with her four years ago."
"But you know how she was after my grandmother died. I couldn't let her live alone like that." He sighs inaudibly. It's true, but that doesn't mean he always likes it.
"Yeah, I know." That tone she recognizes.
"If you don't like it that much we could always try living with your parents."
"On second thought your mother does need all of the support we can give and help with running the inn." The other two silently snicker. Even the couples who everyone thinks are perfect can have their moments.
"Does she still nag on you learning how to cook?" Yttriu then inquires, remembering distinctly the many occasions of her trying to teach her only child to be a "proper young lady." Even if he did not witness it firsthand, he heard about it enough to sympathize.
"Yes," she admits simply, not wanting to think about that this night on top of everything.
"Well, surely you've gotten better at least."
"...Not really."
"Oh." He stops talking then, and even though the conversation could easily die here, Kafei just has to add something else.
"She doesn't nag as much after the incident at my father's fundraiser." This piques his interest, and Mayor Dotour's son goes on despite the light glare from his better half. "My mother decided it would show a better family image if Anju made the food for the whole ordeal, but we actually ended up losing more votes and contributions."
"How come?"
"Everyone got a nasty bout of food poisoning. Some of them were sick for two weeks."
"In her defense, at least it tasted really good going down," her best friends tries to help.
"But probably not so good coming back up," Yttriu adds as he thinks about.
"Alright, you can all stop making fun of me now." Kafei puts his arm around her.
"We're not making fun of you. Besides, not everyone is cut out to be a gourmet chef. I'm lucky to have a knack for it, which, according to my mom sometimes, is one of the only things I'm good at."
"She doesn't really say that, does she?" the red head asks sounding somewhat appalled.
"I don't listen to her. I just think she's unhappy with me deciding not to run for mayor or headmaster of the postal service. Once my shop gets off the ground and is successful, I think her tune will change."
"Speaking of food poisoning," their guy friend cuts in. "How long until you guys can officially be called mom and dad?" They both look at him strangely, and Cremia mentally slaps herself. So far he has mostly acted like the boy they knew, but when he says things like that, it makes the couple wonder just how much he has changed.
"How does food poisoning remind you of that?"-Kafei
"Oh, I don't know. I guess it's the whole throwing up thing." Silently Cremia begs the Great Fairy to please have him stop talking on this subject.
"Your logic is different, but I guess it makes sense," he concedes.
"You're both weird," his wife adds.
"I'm going to have to agree with her on this."-Cremia
"I'm probably overgeneralizing, though. I don't know much, but I do remember not everyone goes through the same thing."
"Luckily Anju's mother has a great remedy that helps a lot. I'm even thinking about asking her to market it at my shop someday to help anyone who may come down with nausea."
"You are not going to ask her that."
"Why not? I think it would sell very well, especially to sailors."
"Because we have tons of sailors here in Clock Town." (In the years since the defeat of Majora, there has been little increase in the amount of people visiting from sailing on Great Bay and on the oceans beyond.) That shuts him up for a second before he concedes that going into business with his mother-in-law is probably a bad idea. Plus this newly acquired sarcastic wit of hers has him on edge now.
"You guys haven't answered my question yet," he reminds them. Before talking further, Kafei makes sure he has permission to do so. Once he is sure the look he gets grants such permission, he answers happily.
"The town physician tells us it'll be six months."
"So you two did wait a few months before telling us."-Cremia
"Yes, as we explained earlier." She looks thoughtful.
"You guys don't know how happy I am for you both."
"I'd say it's probably almost as happy as we are." The group falls silent again, this time not because of awkwardness but because of the happy thoughts they were talking about. With Yttriu, though, this does not last long.
"Alright, this time I'll choose a booth. Let's head over to the fortune teller and see what's in store for us." As before, that sounds good to all. It'll provide some laughs at least. The group of four heads across South Clock Town towards the laundry pool and fortune teller's booth.
Link and Romani land safely far away from their friends. When he lets her go, she steps away and looks around at the wonder that is Snowhead. She has never had the fortune of venturing up here. Her father once promised his girls that he would take them both, and they were to make a whole day of it as soon as he came home from his cattle deal. Then those men ambushed him and stole not only the newest pair of cows but his life. Because spring is just about beginning, not much snow is left on the ground save for little patches of it here and there. The air is still quite cool, though, and she shivers. He notices and comes over, removing his coat and handing it out in an offering. His gesture seems strange and makes her a feel a little awkward, but she accepts it and slips it on. With all of the adventures he faced and the places he saw, he has found he is more hardy than most people. What Romani thinks is freezing cold up here he feels is actually nice.
"It's so nice up here," she starts.
"I know. That's partly why I brought you up here. It was always one of my favorite places to go when I first got here."
"While you were trying to defeat that imp with the Majora's Mask, right?"
"Yeah." During his time living at the ranch he got close enough to both sisters to tell them the truth of his adventures here and even in Hyrule, and he was surprised when they believed him with no reservations. He thought himself lucky then to have found such good friends in such a strange place. Her voice interrupts his thoughts.
"The sky is so clear, even more than at home." While she continues to revel in the clarity of the darkness and the brightness of the shining diamonds studded so high above, he makes his way over to one of the patches of snow. In no time a small snowball is formed in his hands, which are now colder than the rest of him. She starts to turn around, talking at the same time. "So why else did you-" *SPLAT* Before she can continue her thought, the perfect ball of slushy ice hits her in the face, exploding on impact with some of it landing in her dress. "Link!" she screams while trying to get it out before it completely melts. He only laughs harder than he laughed earlier, finding the look on her face priceless.
She continues to stay turned away from him so she can avoid him seeing her hand down her dress. Before Cremia sewed her this outfit, she mentioned how she liked her sis's blouse and the matching skirt she was so fond of. Cremia insisted on a dress, and though it turned out nice, Romani's original request would be a lot easier to clear of snow right now. Once most of it is out, she focuses on her face, which is practically ice cold now as well. Link stops laughing finally, taking notice of her rubbing her cheeks. Slight guilt fills him along with some daring, and he moves across the new grass to her.
"Sorry," he starts. "Should have aimed lower. I know how it feels to eat snow." Still feeling bold, he rubs some of the stray ice off. Even in the close proximity, he fails to see her cheeks turning a light pink, not from warmth but from embarrassment. The reason he doesn't notice, though, is because he is trying to hide his own blush. The boldness suddenly leaves him, and he pulls his hands away and steps back. "Better?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"You want to throw one at me so we're even?" She shakes her head no, looking at the ground in front of him and playing with the sleeve of his coat. Before he becomes fidgety like he notices she is, he looks around. A tree catches his attention as it has some strange design on it. Being ever the adventurer, he strides over to check it out. Weird, he thinks to himself. This little drawing looks like the one on his tree house at home down to the detail of a little bug hovering above the stick figure. As soon as she notices him staring at the bark, she gets over what just happened and goes to investigate as well.
"What are you looking at?" she asks with her hands behind her back.
"I don't know. It's some drawing, but it wasn't here the last time I came."
"How long ago was that?"
"Um...I think it was two years, maybe a little more. Sometimes at night I used to sneak out here with that song I just showed you. The way the trees looked when it wasn't all snowy like this reminded me a little bit of home."
"Oh." It gets quiet again, and she wonders if she should ask her question. She decides she wants to know his answer. "Do you miss your old home very much?" Sighing, he thinks about everything he left behind.
"I guess I miss all of my friends."She continues on because he never really talked about his friends.
"Who were they?"
"There was Saria, my best friend when I was growing up. She was a Kokiri girl who was never going to grow up herself. Then there was Zelda, the princess of Hyrule."
"You knew a princess?"
"Yeah. She was a really nice person and fun to hang out with, even if we didn't get many chances. I knew another princess, too. Her name was Ruto, and she was a Zora."
"Those fish people?" He laughs lightly, which she takes to mean that she is indeed a fish person.
"She called me her fiance after we went on an adventure together. Then there was Darunia, a Goron who made me his sworn brother. There was Impa, Zelda's caretaker and Mido, a Kokiri like Saria. He taunted me my whole life. I can't believe I actually miss him."
"What about that other ranch girl you said you knew?" He suddenly becomes more somber.
"You mean Malon." He takes a second to collect his thoughts. "I do miss her. Epona probably does, too. She raised her, after all." He looks up at the moon, which looks nothing like when it almost crashed down on the world. "But I have great friends here, too. I know they've been getting on fine without me. They're all probably having a lot of fun right now, which is why I brought you out here." He moves away from the tree, a small grin on his face.
"What do you mean by fun?"
"I was thinking we could explore since you're never been here before."
"Oh." He detects a faint hint of disappointment in her tone.
"Is something wrong?" She shakes her head again, and he sees a small smile take the place of the apparent sadness.
"No, it's nothing. Exploring sounds like a lot of fun."
"Even more than the carnival?"
"That's not a fair question. Besides, you haven't had to go to every single one since you were a baby."
"You don't like them anymore?"
"No, it's not that. They're just not as much fun."
"The others sure seemed like they were looking forward to it."
"Ytrriu hasn't been to one since he was six, Anju and Kafei were excited because of their announcement, and my sister has loved every single carnival since I can remember."
"So then I guess it's a good thing I dragged you away from there. So come on." He grabs her by the hand and starts heading off toward a trail that will take them up the mountain the hard way.
Surprisingly she lets him drag her around without yanking away. In fact, though she will stay silent on the subject, she quite enjoys it. She doesn't know when she started thinking these weird things about her friend, but what she does know is that she won't ever tell him, especially with his reaction to her just a couple of minutes ago. Little does she know he is surprised himself at his behavior towards her. When he said lets go for an adventure as if that was the real reason he brought her here, he was only telling a half-truth. There was something of greater importance he wanted to talk with her about, and he figured this night would be perfect timing. Apparently he was wrong, though. To save the evening he can at least try and have a good time walking up this trail. It is new to her, and he'll have to settle for enjoying the look on her face as she discovers everything herself.
The walk is a quiet one, and he eventually lets her hand go. This way will be easier as they have a small precipice to climb up ahead. It isn't a big deal, but they will have to drag themselves up about four feet. No doubt they are going to catch it from Cremia when they go back all dirty, especially Romani in her new dress, but it'll be worth it. She thinks the same thing and hence does not protest when it comes to the climbing. The air smells so different up here. Pine needles, dirt, and new grass come together to form a scent that easily rivals the cows, hay, and chickens on the ranch. The smell is rejuvenating to him as well and is something he has come to love about the mountains. When he first began his adventure here in Termina he noticed how differently the field here smelled from Hyrule. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't the same. After traveling far in his quest to defeat Majora, he learned the smell of every place here. The mountains are by far his favorite.
After a bit he notices her start to lag behind and slows his pace so she can keep up. Inwardly she curses her dress shoes for holding her back. If she had been allowed to wear her normal boots, keeping up with Link would be no problem.
"Hey, are you doing alright?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing, I guess. How about taking a break?"
"I don't need a break. I can hike just as well as you." With that, she picks up the pace, even though it hurts to walk any faster than she was already going. Practically rubbing the back of his head in confusion, he hurries after her. She's moody tonight, he thinks. 'I wonder why that is.'
"Why were so curious about my home?" he asks suddenly, hoping to ease the tension.
"Because you've never really talked about it."
"Can I ask you something then?" She tells him to go ahead. "What were your parents like? You've never really talked about them, either." That is not a question she really wants to answer, which is why she avoided opening up to him about it all of this time. She doesn't even really like talking to her sister very much because she is too easily reminded on what she lost.
"My father was very kind. At least, that's what my sister says. She's eight years older than me, and she got to spend a lot of time helping on the ranch because I was too little. He died when I was six." He takes that in quietly. Seven years ago Cremia did tell him that they died not as long ago as Romani originally told him, but when you're that young, it is hard to hold onto memories. "He promised Cremia and me that he would take us up here someday. Even if I can't remember that much, I can still see his smile and how he was looking forward to that trip with us."
"What about your mom?"
"She was a lot like my sister. That's where she learned to cook, you know. Actually, now that I think about it, she offered Anju's mom to teach her, too."
"How did that work out?"
"Don't you remember Major Dotour's fundraiser?"
"Oh, that's right. Food poisoning."
"My mom sure tried, though. Anyway, she also had a place in town. When she got sick, Mr. Barten offered to buy it from her or else she would have lost it and had to pay a lot of rupees. She loved running her restaurant. She loved talking to people, and she loved making food that brought them from far away just to try. She was funny and kind, and she tried so hard after what happened to our dad. I remember one time when I was there with her, and this man wandered in looking really scraggly. Everyone else wanted to kick him out because they didn't think he could pay for anything, but my mom sat down and started talking to him. After a glass of water, she offered to make him some lunch. It didn't matter if he could pay or not. I always admired that about her. Cremia is the same way, which is why she let you stay with us at first. I only hope I'm not disappointing her."
"No way," her interjects. She looks at him curiously, but he points for her to keep her eyes ahead as a large rock is in her path. She dodges it at the last second. "There's no way you're letting her down. You work hard all day, and you even make time to do the lessons Cremia has for you. I may be world wise, but you know a lot more than me in some ways. Besides, your sister isn't the only one who is funny and kind, even if you have hit me a few times." She laughs nervously and recalls the latest incident this afternoon.
"Thank you, Link."
"For what?"
"Just for listening."
"Hey, any time. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Yeah...friends." Before he can comment on what she means, the heal on her left shoe breaks, and she loses her balance. He reacts quickly by trying to keep her from falling. In the process, he moves too quickly without looking, even for him and loses his balance as well. She falls into him, and he falls on the dirt with a thud. He makes a nice pillow, is all she can think. Plus he is way warmer than the jacket. He, meanwhile, tries not to focus on her chest pressed closely to his or how nice she smells despite the walking they've been doing. "Guess I should thank you again," she starts, trying to joke.
"You're welcome. But could we get up? The ground is pretty cold." Trying not to act like anything, she simply moves off of the hero and sits on the ground to examine her shoe. He pauses for a few seconds before he sits up as well. "Aren't those new shoes?"
"Yeah, which makes it even worse that I broke them. Cremia's gonna yell at me now about this, too."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you up here tonight. It's kind of dark, anyway. Do you want to just go back?"
"No," she answers almost too forcefully. "I'm still having fun. I can just break the heal off the other shoe so they're even again." He laughs out loud, angering her. "What's so funny about that?"
"Because that's totally a Romani answer, something only you would say."
"How about I try breaking it on your head then?" She lifts the soon-to-be-flat up to emphasize her point.
"Go ahead and try. My head's a lot harder than you might think." Taking him up on his offer, she swings with only half of her might. He catches her hand, and she glares, even though she hadn't completely meant to make contact with his skull. He leans in closer. "Guess I should have also mentioned how fast I am." Very quickly they both realize how close each other's face is and how the chill of the night air is eclipsed by the warmth of each breath they exhale. When Link made plans to ask her something important, he never imagined it would be quite this forward. No matter, he thinks as the sudden boldness kicks in again. Deciding now is as good a time as any, he follows his instinct in taking his next action. Her mind has barely any time to register that his head is getting closer to hers before her brain has to deal with something even more major. Under the light of the moon on the eve of the Carnival of Time, the hero and the ranch girl share their first kiss.
Back at Clock Town, the group of four is still waiting for everyone to have their chance at being seen by Madame Poofklump. Her reputation apparently followed her since the line was quite long. Cremia and Kafei got to have their fun, and now they wait for Yttriu and finally Anju. The order was decided randomly by the famous game know as Rock, Paper, Scissors. The guys faced off as well as the girls, and the winners from there faced off, leading to the order they all mostly accepted. Unfortunately, while Cremia and Kafei kept the other two's places, they went to grab a snack for the whole gang. The line was long enough that they had plenty of time, and when they passed by the stand selling sweet popped corn in large helpings, both girls decided it sounded good. Kafei was to hold the fish and the plushie along with his wife's place in line, and Yttriu volunteered to follow her and help. Of course, when they returned, the people who had gotten behind the others were not too keen on letting them cut. Yttriu was ready for a fight about it, but Anju, who has never much liked open conflict, convinced him it wasn't worth it. On the bright side it gave each pair a chance to talk with the other one on one.
Cremia and Kafei stand by their friends in line while Yttriu continues to be talkative.
"So what did she tell you, Cremia?" She shrugs.
"Nothing too specific. It was the whole, 'You will soon meet someone who will change your life so be prepared for big things to come'."
"That sounds like a good fortune."
"If you take those things seriously then I guess it does."
"You don't believe in the mystical powers of some woman wearing fruit on her head and a necklace of random fake animal teeth?" Kafei asks in mock surprise.
"What did she tell you then?" she comes back.
"That I have the qualities of a great leader and will one day lead this town to more prosperity than my father could ever dream of. Her exact words were: 'The five kingdoms of Termina will come together as one when the need arises and under the rule of the Dotour family's only son will overcome the darkness'." They all just stare at him, Yttiru especially. He laughs somewhat nervously. "Now you see why I don't take her too seriously myself. No way I will ever decide to be mayor of this place."
"I actually think it would suit you," the ranch girl says thoughtfully. "I can just picture you leading the town and being strong and authoritative." She gets a weird look from the others, causing her to blush somewhat. The rumors Link heard once were true. She did have feelings beyond friendship for the boy with purple hair, but she learned to let it go. He never looked at her as more than that, and when she saw the way they looked at each other when announcing their engagement, feeling happy for them both eclipsed her notions of loving him. Sometimes, though, she does think he is at least a handsome man. "Well, I can picture Anju, too, always being involved in something with the town and dressed to make all of the women jealous of her style and the guys jealous of Kafei."
"You don't like the way I dress now?"
"No, that's not what I meant. It's just this picture I have in my head of a what-if, is all."
"Well, farm girl, I can picture you growing old with the cows and talking to the cuccoos since Romani ended up marrying Link and moving to Clock Town and taking over my shop since I had to give it up to be mayor." She swats at him, but he only laughs.
"Shut up, Kafei."
"Who is next to see Madame Poofklump?" the man handling her line asks. The group of four tries hard not to laugh at the completely ridiculous name.
"Well, guys, guess it's my shot now." Yttriu walks into her little tent while they watch and wonder what his "future" awaits.
The first thing he notices is that there are many candles lining the walls while she is seated at the center. A crystal ball is absent along with any sign of tarot cards, and he wonders what her technique is. He decides she probably reads palms or tea leaves or something like that. He goes to take a seat, finding her appearance to be very unpleasant as well as the smell of the hut.
"I do not read palms, tea leaves, or anything like that, Mister Agri. I also do not think you are anything special to look at yourself, unlike your parents. Wonderful couple they will make in the future." He stops for a second and stares at her, but she remains seated.
"What are you talking about in the future? I'm almost twenty-four."
"Sit down." Complying, he does though he keeps his eyes fixed on her intently. "It was your idea to come see me. Why?"
"I thought it would be fun."
"You didn't come to this place for fun."
"What did I come here for then?"
"To protect not only the three out there waiting for you but the two who snuck off to the mountains."
"And just how do you know that?"
"The same way I know what is approaching the hero and the girl with him." An emotion flickers through his eyes, but he tries to stay calm. "Go. That is why you came to this time." He gets up quickly and turns around to bolt out. "But be careful with your secret." He looks over his shoulder at her briefly before exiting.
His three friends see him and look curious as to how it went. No one can ask, though, before the foreman ushers in the next in line, who is Anju. Kafei takes the plushie to hold onto until she comes back, and Cremia wishes her fake good luck. She and Kafei fail to see how antsy he is at first, but Cremia takes notice right away when she looks at him again.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he answers too quickly. "Look, I have to go take care of something real quick. I promise I'll try to be back soon. If not, I really enjoyed tonight with you all. Could you tell Anju I said bye?"
"Sure," Kafei agrees.
"Thanks." Just as with the fortune teller, he turns to leave but looks over his shoulder at them both. "That lady is a quack, by the way. Don't listen to her." With that, he bolts as fast as his legs can take him while they stare in confusion and concern.
"I wonder what that was all about," he ponders. She doesn't answer, a conversation the two of them had earlier this week when they first bumped into each other playing in her mind. What he said then worries her more than what he said just now. People continue to enjoy themselves around the duo, him juggling a stuffed Cucco and a bag of fish and her holding the bucket of sweet popped corn.
Back at the mountains, the two who broke their contact at least two minutes ago, continue to stare at their laps in silence. Their first kiss was most definitely awkward, but the second time they tried, it was already an improvement. That was before they became fully aware of their actions and stopped altogether, leading to where they are now. At least their breathes have become mostly steady though this does not ring true of their heartbeats.
"So..." he starts.
"So what?"
"I don't know."
"Oh." He looks around, anything to avoid seeing her face or having her see his eyes. No matter how many enemies he has faced in combat, he is still wimp of the highest order when it comes to girls and feelings. Why he was the one to receive the Triforce of Courage is a mystery to him. "Um, Link?" she asks feebly.
"Yeah?" She goes on, still looking down.
"Thank you for everything. It's been a lot of fun. I wasn't really looking forward to tonight, but now I think I'll have some of the best memories of a carnival that I've ever had before."
"I'm glad. That is how I planned it, but you know things don't always work out that way." She looks at him finally, curious as to the word plan.
"What do you mean planned?" Her expression has now completely changed. "How much did you plan?" He shrinks back, not wanting to have to answer that question.
"It's not what it sounds like. I only wanted to talk. What just happened was totally spontaneous, I swear." He half-expects her to hit him with her shoe like before because, as he has come to learn over seven years, she likes to throw things at him or be otherwise physically violent when he makes her mad. It never bothered him much. In fact, it has come to be something that he adores about her (though he won't say so quiet yet, if at all). When nothing happens, he looks up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"But you didn't hit me." All she does is smile, further confusing the hero.
"Why would I discourage you from being spontaneous in the future?"
"Future?" he manages to choke out. "Do you really mean...do you think we could have..." And yet again his courage fails him, he curses. She laughs softly at him before leaning in closer, silencing his mumbling. Their third kiss is better still, and he forgets his tied tongue in favor of letting it do its own exploring. Neither knows much about kissing, just what they have heard (sometimes as an unwilling audience), but when she doesn't shove him off, he figures she likes it.
"Alright, break it up, you two." Startled and embarrassed, they move away from each other and search to see where the voice is coming from. Forgetting the nice feelings from the moment now over. Link lets his protective side come into play as a shadow jumps down from the ledge above them, landing on the trail they stopped following ten minutes ago. When he stands up, Link is able to tell he is shorter than himself. His hair reminds them both of an octopus, large chunks sticking out in various directions like arms. The moonlight hits his face, which only has a frown, his bushy eyebrows knitted together as he looks at them.
"Who are you?" Link demands.
"Link...Hero of Time and Chosen One...I am humbled to actually meet you. Where I come from, the tales of your deeds are the only thing inspiring hope for many people."
"Where are you from? Are you from Hyrule? Has something happened there?"
"No, I am from somewhere much farther away. Would you believe me if I said it was the future?"
"The future?" Just the idea makes him skeptical about anything this guy says never minding the fact he himself traveled through the river of time both in Hyrule and then here. "How is that possible?"
"I didn't expect you to be skeptical. Then again, it doesn't really matter what you think. You are destined for something much greater than Hero of Time, and I am here to keep you from fulfilling that."
"What destiny? Isn't saving two worlds enough to please the goddesses?" He laughs.
"You have much to learn. Too bad you won't have a chance."
"Link," she tugs at his shirt. "What's he talking about?"
"I don't know. Just stay back." Link steps froward, ready to take what ever this punk guy has to dish out. Normally he would not be so fearful, but he also has always had his arsenal of weapons to choose from. There is a mask he can use that he keeps on him at all times. Because of its power and what it does to him each time he puts it on, he will only use that as a last resort. Luckily he did some secret training a few years back when a ship full of adventuring pirates who help people instead of pillaging them docked at Great Bay. From their travels all over the world, they gained much knowledge. Though their time together was short, they imparted as many skills as they could.
Half way between Romani and the stranger Link stops. Both keep their eyes fixed on him, and he closes his while starting to concentrate. He has never had to use this in a combat situation so he hopes this will work as well as it did in his training. The young man seems unimpressed, and Romani just watches everything in complete confusion. Why did he call Link the Hero of Time? Is it because of the time traveling he told her about when he was going after Majora? A hundred more questions go around in her head, but all she does is play with the sleeve of his jacket. He told her to stay back, and she has little experience in fighting so all she can do is fidget and watch.
"Stop standing there with your eyes closed and fight me. That is, if you care at all about protecting her." He looks up.
"Enough with corny bad guy lines." Before either of the other two can see, the hero is gone. The next thing their aggressor realizes, Link's elbow connects with his face. The man staggers back, his hands collecting the blood as it falls. "You seem impressed with that move. You'll never guess where I learned it."
"From who, a ninja?" he scoffs.
"When did you meet a ninja?" Romani shouts at him. He turns to answer.
"Romani, just stay back for now." Slightly irritated, she crosses her arms and hmphs. Seeing an opening, he kicks at Link's feet to knock him down. The hero doesn't have time to dodge, but he catches himself and pushes his body up again. The man goes to punch him, but he blocks it easily with his left arm, landing a karate chop to his right shoulder that again sends him reeling back. He had no idea the young man could fight without the use of his many weapons. This is indeed a shock. "I wasn't trained by a ninja, by the way. I learned from the Order of Commini. Even if you are from the future, I'm sure you've heard of them." Though he is correct in his assumption, his opponent doesn't acknowledge this. Even Romani, who is still within hearing distance despite his warnings to move back, has heard the tales from various sources. She had no idea Link ran into the gang, let alone spent time learning their discipline.
"I know very well of their group. It was a shame when they all met their end at the hands of my master."
"Do you really expect me to think that you're from the future?"
"Why is that such a leap for someone who traveled back and forth as many times as you have?"
"I was able to do that because I'm the Hero of Time and I possessed both both keys."
"And I was able to use something they call magic along with a wee bit of science."
"Science and magic? How do those two go together?"
"So many questions from someone who doesn't believe me. Would you like to see an example of technology?" He doesn't answer, but the man pulls something out from his pocket anyway. With a light flick of his wrist, he throws it into the air. Before their eyes the small ball-like object explodes into a very impressive sword, even better looking than the fabled Master Sword. With ease he catches it and shows off by twirling it around a few times.
"How did you do that?"
"Where I come from, my master found a way into other worlds, kind of like how this place parallels Hyrule. One world has the technology to put almost anything into a capsule for storage and transport. He took their ideas and changed them to make them even better." Link doesn't say anything. "I feel I should make things even, though. Catch." He again reaches in his pocket and throws a ball at him. Halfway through the air it changes, and Link catches a light but sturdy sword in his left hand. The hilt matches the other but is black instead of dark blue and is about the same length as the Master Sword. The grip feels good, but Link swings it around a few times to get a real feel for it. Quickly he decides it is more than decent, causing his opponent to smirk. "The design of this sword comes from one in the same world as these capsules. It was a powerful weapon there, slicing a tyrant who once ruled the universe into many pieces with ease. We didn't even need to improve it. I'll let you test it out on me." He gets into stance but quickly bolts toward Link, who blocks his oncoming attack without trying. Praying to the Goddesses that his skills have not gotten rusty, he prepares himself to fight back, knowing his life and Romani's depend on his victory. All she can do is watch in concern from the sidelines.
Nearby a dark figure drops to his knees behind a set of thick bushes. From this spot he peeks out over the top to see how Link is doing against his opponent from out of nowhere. Then he notices Romani standing almost right there with him. He curses. 'I can't believe they're fighting here with her nearby. Ethios...I know what you want to do, but you're wrong. It won't help you feel any better once you get back there.' Suddenly their combat moves very close to the bushes so he ducks down again and hopes he can remain unnoticed. When the clanking gets farther away, he figures it is safe though he only relaxes into a sitting position. 'That was a little close. No one else here can know who I am. It's bad enough Cremia found out, and I'm lucky she believed me and agreed to go along.' Ethios yells, a familiar sound to the other visitor from the future that he recognizes means the young man is losing his battle. It's his battle cry. Yttriu grits his teeth and knows he has to do something, but he doesn't know what that it is unless he risks revealing his truth.
More clanking follows along with grunts from both young men, but Yttriu dares not peek. Only when she shouts out the hero's name does he forget about his secret in favor of protecting them if it comes down to that. Forcing himself to hold his gasp, he watches Ethios hold his blade to Link's neck. The hero only stares somewhat in disbelief that he fell for that.
"That was surprisingly easy. Guess settling down for ranch life has dulled your instincts. Why don't you bring out your secret weapon already?" Link tries not to look surprised, but he does seriously contemplate pulling out the mask. Ethios backs off and holds the sword by his side. Jumping up, Link takes a few steps away. Thank the Great Fairy he is able to carry the mask in such a small size (that actually always amazed him about all of his items since he first left for the Great Deku Tree). In his left hand he holds the Fierce Deity Mask, which no one gets a good look at before he covers his face with it.
"You're putting on a mask?" she calls, sounding exasperated. He refrains from turning around and getting angry with her, deciding to focus his negative energy on the one truly deserving of it.
In a flash he transforms to everyone's shock. Even the ones from the future could not have envisioned the tales told of such as mask and the power it wields. In less than two seconds the hero grew at least another foot and completely changed wardrobes, trading his carnival attire for a light blue tunic and armor. Blue and red paint decorates his face. His hair is now white as the snow on the ground, and his double-handed sword makes the other look puny. Scaring the others the most, especially Romani, is the lack of pupils in his eyes. Without realizing it, the form of a god stands before them.
"So this is the Fierce Deity Mask of legend," Ethios says aloud. Romani hears the name and remembers what she has heard, which is more terrifying than her friend's new appearance. "Its origins are unknown though it is thought to be the soul of a god whose power was more fearsome and evil than Majora himself. How it doesn't completely consume you is amazing."
"You know a lot," Link asks with a smirk. "Do you still want to fight me?"
"I already told you I'm from the future, and my master there is far more powerful than some god trapped in a mask."
"Put up your sword then. I want to finish having a nice night with my friends." Hiding his slight intimidation at the one now towering over him, Ethios rushes Link again. The demi-god is able to block with ease each move in a fluid manner. Their swords lock in a stalemate, which Link is only feigning as he smirks and moves barely. Ethios is sent practically flying back into the ground, but he stops in midair, staying horizontal. Flying is not new to Link, but flying without the aid of anything material is a feat. Slowly he turns himself upright, taking in the stares of the two he can see watching him. Yttriu, in an attempt to move closer, slips on a rock and lands with a loud ow on the dirt. Ethios looks over, immediately knowing who it is. Link glances to see also, but Yttriu manages to lie low yet again. He decides against immediate action for the time.
Using his new found air, the dark one races high above Link before charging down, sword above his head. Again this is blocked, contradicting his claims of easily being more powerful. Link gets cocky then, deciding he will use the full extent of his powers. With a swing forward, Ethios lands on the ground and rolls away to get out from underneath his feet. Before anyone can see, except for Yttriu, he fires something from his left hand. The small glowing ball of yellow light hits Link's left breastplate, making him wince. The Mask may have dark magic imbued in it, but one's chi when trained properly can be far more powerful than that. Etios spent six months learning to properly control his life energy having never been taught any combat in his life. Even still, this pleased his master and his master's master. Getting angry now, Link swings his massive weapon, a disc of powerful magic erupting from the tip. Ethios knocks it aside with ease. Next he sets his sights on Romani, keeping the fact that Yttriu is hidden nearby in his plans. His hand goes up in her direction next, but Link is too slow to stop it in this massive form.
Without hesitation, the hidden hero rushes over to save her from the force. The blast flies above his back and hits a tree, engulfing it in flames. He remains on top of the girl for a few stunned seconds. She takes a moment to realize what just happened, but his face inches from hers brings her back to the present.
"Yttriu, what are you doing here?"
"Leave it to you to only ask why I'm here when you were almost burnt to a cinder by a glowing ball from some random bad guy." She looks at him curiously, but he moves off of her and then helps her up. Seeing his two friends almost injured or worse, Link has the greatest urge to allow the Mask to completely take over. Part of his brain reminds him of what could happen, and he manages to keep his rage mostly in check. He also realizes he needs to take this off as soon as possible as each passing minute brings him closer to becoming the same as Majora, if not worse. His size leaves him unable to effectively use his learned pirate skills so he has to rely on the sword. He grips it tighter in both hands, but Ethios sends off another blast. Forced to use the hilt as a shield, he protects his face. After impact he moves his hand to look, but Ethios is gone.
"Up here."
"What?" He spins around, only to be hit by another blast. It hits the mask directly, sending pain all through Link's body. He is forced to drop to his knees, the only way to stop the pain being to remove the mask. Although he is afraid it was somehow damaged, he lets it fall to the ground to see where his opponent is now. Ethios stands there, his sword at Link's neck yet again.
"This was easy. Say bye-bye, Hero of Time." A blast hits his hands, eliciting a yelp as the blade flies across the spot turned fighting arena. Yttriu lowers his weapon, a blaster unmistakably from a different time and place. Ethios looks solemnly at him. "So you have guts enough to fight back this time around. They would be impressed."
"Where did you get that?" she asks almost frantically. This night has brought on so much information, way more than her brain feels like it can handle.
"My father," is his only answer. His next comments are directed at the other future warrior. "There's a lot you don't know, Ethios. So much has happened since you left for the past. She changed her mind about you." Though his expression does not soften, something flickers in his eyes. Link takes the opening, using the energy he has left to kick his Ethios's legs out from under him., grab the mask, and roll towards his given blade.
"Not. So. Fast," Ethios growls out, suddenly behind him. On the last word, his sword, which began its descent at not, stops when it hits the flesh of the Hero of Time. He leaves it there for a few seconds before yanking it out in the most painful way possible. His friends both call out his name, but he hears nothing. The only sense that seems to work is the one allowing him to feel pain and the warmth of his own blood as it spills onto his hands. Ethios backs away, lowering his weapon since his goal has been accomplished. His eyes are curiously on the ground. "It doesn't matter if she changed her mind. It was too late before I left."
In a quick flip backwards, he disappears into the shadows the same way he came. Romani wastes no time in rushing over to the fallen one. Yttriu takes a few seconds longer, unable to believe he failed so easily. Then he remembers something given to him by a close friend. Although a thing called technology may have changed a lot where he is from, they still use the magic known to previous generations. Right now he wishes it was the best healer of all, a fairy from the mystical fountains located in the hidden areas of this land and Hyrule. Oh well, he thinks. It will patch him up enough to where he can finish healing on his own so long as he rests. By the time he darts over, he has fallen on his back while she cradles his head in her lap, brushing the matted blonde hair off of his forehead. He kneels down, seeing how serious this really is.
"You're from the future like that other guy, right?" she asks, sounding even more frantic than any other time tonight. "You have to have something than can help him."
"I do," he confirms as he reaches into his pocket. A bottle of blue potion he pulls out. It is the variety introduced to Link by that weird lady in Kakariko Village but perfected by someone else. "You need to move back." She refuses, and he gets angry. "Did you not hear me? You need to move now." His tone softens. "He'll be fine, I promise. The Hero of Time cannot be so easily defeated." Hating to do it, she gently lowers his head onto the grass, an action that makes him cry out. Yttriu doesn't give her any time get closer again before he moves in with the bottle. No matter how much she is trying to keep it together for the sake of the situation, she cannot help all of the emotions at seeing the boy she grew up with and chased and teased lie at death's door.
"You better be okay, Grasshopper, or else I'm going to be really mad at you." He doesn't let it show, but Yttriu cannot help the small smile that comes from hearing those words.